Tax Deductions

March 31 deadline: Invest in tax saving instruments to claim deduction

If you have chosen the old tax regime, ensure that your tax-saving investments under Sections 80C, 80D, 80G, and others are made before March 31 to maximise tax benefits

40,000 taxpayers under lens for deductions, CBDT targets TDS defaulters

The focus will be on habitual violators, cases showing significant gaps between tax deductions and advance tax payments, instances involving frequent revisions to deductee details

Budget proposals to garner up to Rs 45,000 cr bank deposit: DFS Secy

Budget proposals for income tax cuts and other tax changes will help banks to mobilise Rs 40,000-45,000 crore additional deposits, Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju on Monday said. The Union Budget 2025 has proposed an increase in the tax deduction at source (TDS) threshold on interest earned from fixed deposits for general (non-senior) citizens from the current Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per financial year. The TDS threshold for fixed deposit interest income earned by senior citizens will go up from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh from FY2025-26, he said. "We see over Rs 20,000 crore coming back into the banking system due to the hike in tax rebate limit, over Rs 15,000 crore from the hike in TDS threshold on interest earned from savings deposits by senior citizens," he said in a post-Budget media briefing. Besides these two, Rs 7,000 crore is seen coming from the non-senior individuals tax savings due to the income tax slab changes, he added. Asked about MTNL debt resolution and haircu

What is standard deduction for salary, pension income post Budget 2025?

The standard deduction was last hiked in Interim Budget 2024, but only in the new tax regime

90k salaried individuals withdraw wrongful tax claims worth Rs 1,070 crore

As many as 90,000 salaried individuals, both from PSUs and the private sector, have withdrawn wrongful tax deductions claims totalling Rs 1,070 crore as of December 31, 2024, government sources said on Thursday. During various search & seizure and survey operations conducted by Income Tax Department, it has come to notice that various individuals are claiming incorrect deductions, under sections 80C, 80D, 80E, 80G, 80GGB, 80GGC, in their ITRs, leading to reduction of tax payable to the government. During investigation, it was revealed that such individuals are employees of organisations operating in diverse fields including PSUs, big corporations, MNCs, LLPs, Private Ltd Companies, etc, sources said. Also, most of them who claimed wrongful deductions were working in the same company. Analysis of the information with the department showed that there is a vast mismatch between total deductions under section 80GGB/80GGC claimed by taxpayers in their ITRs as against the total receipts

Buy base policy, super top-up from same insurer to simplify claims

The deductible is the amount paid through the base policy or out of pocket before the super top-up kicks in. A higher deductible reduces the premium

Union Budget 2024: How Key changes in TDS rates simplify life for taxpayers

Budget has proposed to provide a standard operating procedure for TDS defaults and simplify the compounding guidelines for defaults

Budget 2024: Capital markets eyeing hike in STT on high-frequency traders

Union Budget 2024: The Securities Transaction Tax (STT) applies to every sale and purchase of equities listed on exchanges. The STT rate for selling options is 0.017%, while for futures, it is 0.01%

Budget 2024: FinMin seeks views on tax rates, laws for reducing litigation

The Finance Ministry has invited suggestions on direct and indirect taxes and changes in laws to reduce compliances for the 2024-25 Budget from trade and industry associations. The suggestions are to be sent to the ministry by June 17 and the full budget for 2024-25 is expected to be presented in Parliament in the second half of July. The suggestions could include changes in the duty structure, rates and ideas on broadening of tax base on both direct and indirect taxes giving economic justification for the same, as per the ministry. For changes in customs and excise duties, the trade and industry would have to supplement and justify their demand with relevant statistical information about production, prices, and revenue implication of the changes suggested. The request for correction of inverted duty structure would have to be supported by value addition at each stage of manufacturing of the commodity. With regard to direct taxes, the ministry said the suggestions could be also on

Tax tribunals in Delhi and Mumbai allow deductions for CSR donation

Tax authorities had earlier argued that since CSR expenditures were mandated by law, they were not voluntary and therefore, did not qualify as donations for tax deductions

Multi-point trip: Tax break is on direct travel cost to farthest place

Journeys with foreign leg not eligible for benefit, even if they start and end in India

Homeowner can claim house rent allowance while living in rented house

If you pay rent to spouse or parents, maintain proof for HRA claim

Leverage HUF to max tax benefits by distributing income, availing deduction

By distributing income and availing of deductions, it can facilitate tax savings

85% taxpayers opt for old regime, 55% fully utilise 80C benefit: survey

Among the available tax deductions, 50% of users claimed 80D for tax deductions on medical insurance, while 20% utilised 80CCD(1B) for tax deductions on NPS self-contributions.

Over 750,000 HUFs claimed Rs 3,803 cr tax deductions in 2022-23: FinMin

Over 8.75 lakh Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) have filed income tax returns (ITRs) and claimed deductions worth Rs 3,803 crore during 2022-23, the Finance Ministry said on Tuesday. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in a reply to the Rajya Sabha provided details of the number of Hindu Undivided Families (HUF) availing tax benefits (in the form of deduction under Chapter VIA of the Income-tax Act) during the last five years. To a question on whether the government has assessed the impact of the Uniform Civil Code on tax benefits to HUFs in the country, the minister said: "No such assessment has been made as there is no such Code at present". Currently, a debate is going on about the status of the HUFs, following the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code on which the Law Commission has invited comments from the public. Under Hindu Law, a HUF is a family comprising all lineally descendants of a common ancestor, including wives and unmarried daughters. This provision al

TMS Ep466: New TCS regime, HDFC twin merger, markets, wreck-diving

How will the new TCS regime affect you? What are the implications of the HDFC merger? Report card H1-CY23: How did the markets fare? What is wreck-diving? All answers here

Maintain proper documents proving source of funds remitted abroad

Have transparent reasons for each transfer and use reputable service providers in order to avoid scrunity

How health check-up, insurance premium can help you in saving tax

Preventive check-up is one available to save tax based on medical-related issues

New and old: How two tax regimes work for home loan interest benefit

You can benefit under the new tax regime but there are a few caveats

Taxing times: Businesses face tax heat over deductions claimed for cess

CBDT tells I-T officials to nudge entities; move could help garner over Rs 5,000 cr